


Hostage Situations

by orphan_account



Series: Writing Prompts [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, College, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:42:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28107228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Stolen another prompt or two from writing.prompt.s again oopsCharlie's a Villain who needs to set a trap for the superhero, Michael, so he kidnaps his sidekick. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as planned.
Series: Writing Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055675
Kudos: 5





	Hostage Situations

_ “Bastards,” _ Charlie cursed. The fucking superhero had gotten in his way again. Why did this city need ‘heroes’, anyway? He was working to improve the city, not ruin it- why did these supposed heroes think him to be a threat?   
  
He needed a plan to get those heroes out of the way- but how?    
  
The fucking superman was a womanizing narcissist… what kind of weaknesses would a guy like that have? He didn’t hold onto women- could he ruin his public image? How could he create a scandal huge enough to twist the peoples’ opinions on him? Who did the fucker care about…    
  
Charlie paused his pacing to inhale sharply.   
  
_ Eli. _   
  
That kid- that sidekick Michael kept around.   
  
...He could take the kid hostage? Surely he couldn’t be strong enough to evade him- the kid was the timidest person he’d seen.   
  
His sidekick. “Ha,” Charlie chuckled to himself, “Who would’ve thought that fucker’s weakness would be a person other than himself.” Shocking, but it was the safest assumption- the hero’s sidekick is always one of their greatest weaknesses.   
  
He could bait the fool with the kid and take them both out at the same time- but how old was the kid? Surely young- twenty, maybe. Charlie didn’t want to hurt a child… perhaps he could take the kid under his wing, get him to help out with his plans.   
  
Yes, that’s what he’d do.   
  
-   
  
They were standing on a rooftop.   
  
Ridiculous.   
  
What was Michael’s obsession with absurd confrontation settings? Couldn’t they have these spats on a street or a park? It was too much work having to run three flights of stairs every time Charlie wanted to rob a bank.   
  
“Give back the money, Cobra,” Michael demanded loudly. Charlie sighed. Where did that nickname come from, anyway? He had never referred to himself with such a ridiculous code-name. They were adults, and this was reality; these weren’t superhero comics.   
  
“Fuck off, Mike,” he drawled out in response. “You’re so dramatic, honestly. If I were you I would’ve taken me out ages ago.”   
  
Michael screamed in anger and charged towards him. Charlie could almost feel his jaw drop as he sidestepped him easily and twisted his forearm behind his back, arm around his neck. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Charlie asked incredulously into his ear. “I’ve seen twelve year-olds with better fighting skills than you.”   
  
With another shout, Michael whirled around and threw a wild punch at his face. Charlie ducked and jumped back.   
  
They were fist-fighting on the rooftop and energy was building around them. Michael’s famous powers were showing again.    
  
Charlie rolled his eyes at the flashy display. Who needed superpowers? What was enhanced strength and telekinesis supposed to do against tactic and force?   
  
He reached into his bag behind him and pulled out a metal pipe. With a single swing, Michael howled and fell to his knees. Charlie grinned.   
  
Nothing like a pipe to the shins.   
  
“I’d love to stay and chat, but-” Charlie glanced to the far end of the rooftop where the kid was standing, looking like he wanted to bolt- “I’ve got things to see and places to be, so toodaloo!”   
  
And then he booked it for the end of the roof.   
  
“ELI!” Michael screamed in rage. “Get Cobra, QUICK! Before he gets away!”   
  
“Y-yessir!” The kid sprang up and crouched in a defensive position in front of the door. Charlie knew he was likely supposed to seem threatening, but this was really quite sad.   
  
“Sorry kid, but you’re coming with me.” Charlie scooped him up into a fireman carry, causing him to emit a high-pitched squeal and threw the door open, sprinting down the stairs.   
  
The street outside was chaos; reporters and civilians were running around in a frenzy, panicking over their beloved ‘superhero’. The crowd backed away quickly when Charlie let the door hit the wall with a bang.   
  
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Charlie said, adjusting the squirming blob over his shoulder and flashing a grin at the crowd. “If you’d excuse me, I’m in a bit of a rush. Would you mind opening up a way to the door?”   
  
Instantly there were screams of “It’s Cobra!” and “Oh my god I don’t want to die!” as people rushed to clear a path. Charlie rolled his eyes yet again at the atrocious nickname and saluted the horde of people with the hand holding the pipe before running outside.   
  
He stopped by his car at the end of the street, tossed the kid in the shotgun seat, the money in the back, and started the engine.   
  
“Seatbelt, kid,” he grunted before he slammed the accelerator and sped away from the bank to a scream of anger from Michael and a shrill scream from Eli in the seat beside him, madly fumbling with the seatbelt.   
  
Despite how reckless he drove, Charlie rarely, if ever, got into accidents. He swerved like a madman through an intersection and sped up at any red lights he saw.   
  
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-” the kid was muttering from the other seat, gripping the seatbelt with white knuckles and his eyes shut tight.   
  
Charlie barked out a laugh as he slowed to let an old man cross the road. “Calm down, kid. We’re almost there.”   
  
“Almost where?!” he asked frantically. He stared at Charlie with a wide-eyed look. “Where are you taking me? Why do you drive so horribly?!”   
  
Charlie gave the kid an affronted look as he hit the gas again. “Hey, I’ll have you know I’m a great driver. But it’s not time to drive nice after you rob a bank, kid. Come on. Common sense.”   
  
He turned to face the road again and took a sharp turn onto a less-developed road. “And you’ll be fine. I don’t have a crazy super-villain base or anything.”   
  
“Like that’s supposed to make me feel better!” The kid wailed. He gripped the seat. “Let me go! I have class tomorrow!”   
  
“Should’ve thought of that before you became a sidekick,” Charlie scoffed. He slowed down in front of a small two-story house and killed the engine. “Come on.”   
  
The kid cautiously unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car on shaky legs. He glanced around, likely looking for an escape route, and was cut off by an arm wrapping around his midsection.    
  
“Sheesh, you’re a loud one, aren’t you?” Charlie grumbled at the shriek he let out, twisting to avoid a flailing fist. “You looked like you were going to fall over. Now quiet down, you’re going to bother my neighbours. That hag across the street has been looking for a reason to call the cops on me, I swear.”   
  
“She should!” The kid continued to squirm in an effort to get away. “You’re a criminal!”   
  
“Well, you don’t need to put it like that,” pouted Charlie as he unlocked the door and dumped the kid into a chair, flopping onto the couch.    
  
“Why did you bring me here?” The kid asked as he scrambled into an upright position in the chair.   
  
“Hostage,” Charlie replied blandly. “Michael’s a real pain in the ass, and superheroes always come for their sidekicks.”   
  
The kid deflated. “Are you going to hurt me?” He asked hesitantly.   
  
“Do you want me to?” Charlie raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have any intention of stringing you up by your feet and threatening to make you into soup if that’s what you’re worried about.”   
  
He violently shook his head. “N-no! I don’t want that!” He eyed Charlie nervously again. “What am I supposed to do here, then?   
  
Charlie leaned back further into the couch. “I don’t know, kid. Just stick around ‘till Mike comes around and I can beat his ass, yeah?”   
  
For some reason at these words, the kid flinched slightly.   
  
“Ah… kid? You okay?” Charlie heaved himself up off the couch and moved to the side of the chair.   
  
The kid looked to the side and clutched his arms. “I’m f-fine.”   
  
“Hey-” Charlie moved his hand to turn the kid’s face back towards his, but for some reason, the kid flinched back violently and ran around the back of the chair to the wall, looking at Charlie with wide, fearful eyes.   
  
“Hey kid,” Charlie turned and cautiously walked over to the kid shaking in the corner. “I’m not going to hurt you- calm down.”   
  
“I-I’m fine!” The kid tried to glare at him while backing farther against the wall, which somewhat ruined the effect he was going for.   
  
What the hell?   
  
Charlie had  _ so _ not signed up for this. Were hostages supposed to be this scared? He thought he gave off pretty chill vibes.   
  
“Okay, ki- Eli,” he started slowly, putting his hands in front of himself in a non-threatening manner. “I’m going to come closer so we can get you onto this couch and I can make you some cocoa, and then we’re going to talk about this, yeah?”   
  
With scared, suspicious eyes, Eli nodded slowly.   
  
Charlie took steady, measured steps towards the shaking kid and slowly pulled him towards himself in a partial-hug, then led him back toward the couch. Eli sat on the end furthest from Charlie, watching as he moved to the kitchen and started heating some milk.   
  
Charlie hummed a song under his breath as he moved around the kitchen for cocoa powder and mugs, replaying the kid’s reaction in his head.   
  
Something had spooked the kid- something he did.    
  
What? And why?   
  
He picked up the mugs and carried them back into the other room, setting one on the table in front of the kid and leaning back on the opposite end of the couch with his own.   
  
Eli slowly reached for the mug and cradled it in his hands, sipping it slowly and avoiding eye contact.    
  
After about five minutes, Charlie let out a little grunt. “Feeling a bit better?”   
  
“Ah, yeah,” the kid mumbled.   
  
Charlie put his mug on the table and rested his forearms on his knees. He raised an eyebrow at the kid. “Mind explaining what happened there?”   
  
The kid tensed again.    
  
Shit.   
  
“It’s fine, you know,” Charlie said off-handedly, “It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone or expect details. Just a little explanation as to why you were shaking against my wall.”   
  
“I-” the kid- Eli, his name was Eli- cleared his throat. “It’s nothing really. You just spooked me, I suppose.”   
  
“Mhm,” Charlie hummed. “How did I spook you?”   
  
“You said you weren’t going to ask for details,” Eli said accusingly.   
  
Charlie tilted his head to the side and regarded the kid with a look. “I’m going to need more than the bare minimum, kiddo.”   
  
Eli looked away again.   
  
“Was it when I made that joke about the soup? Or when I got too close to you?” Charlie asked in a softer tone, watching the kid’s reaction and the way he tensed at the second guess.   
  
Aha.   
  
“So I was too close, hey?” Eli’s head snapped back up again, wide eyes staring at his. He looked back down quickly.   
  
“...A little.”   
  
“What about the flinch?” Charlie prodded. “As far as I know, that’s not a normal reaction to an invasion of space.”   
  
The kid turned away and pursed his lips slightly.   
  
Charlie thought out loud, hoping to invoke a reaction from the kid. “You were nervous when I got closer and flinched when I moved my h…” he stopped and stared at the kid who was chewing his lip and avoiding his gaze. “You thought I was going to hit you.”   
  
Eli didn’t move.   
  
Fuck.   
  
Fucking hell- the kid thought he was going to be slapped.   
  
“Hey, hey, hey, hey.” Charlie moved closer to the kid and wrapped his arm around his shoulders gently, pulling him against his chest. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”   
  
The kid let a wet laugh out from where his face was buried in Charlie’s shoulder. “Gee, that’s really reassuring coming from the guy that just kidnapped me.”   
  
“Remember what I said?” Charlie responded in a teasing tone. “I’m just trying to lure the dumbass over so I can beat him again. I had no intention of doing anything to you.”   
  
Eli hummed softly and let out a soft exhale against his shoulder.   
  
“Now, why did you think I’d hurt you, kiddo? That was a pretty extreme reaction to a hand moving.” Charlie tightened his grip around the kid. “Is someone smacking you around?”   
  
Charlie felt him go rigid again and cursed internally.   
  
This kid was fucking hard to read.   
  
“Please?” He asked gently. “I want to know if you're okay.”   
  
Eli whispered something almost silent.   
  
“Say that again, kiddo? I couldn’t hear you.”   
  
“...Michael.”

  
...What?   
  
That… that jackass was hurting his sidekick?   
  
Oh,  _ fuck _ no.   
  
Charlie stared at the kid practically on his lap with a shocked expression. “Michael?”   
  
The kid nodded softly, face still in the crook of his shoulder.   
  
“Superhero-guy Michael? Guy you work with Michael?”   
  
“Yes,” Eli whispered again.   
  
“That bastard- that absolute fucker!”   
  
Charlie sat up and stared at Eli, who looked up at his face.   
  
“Fuck!” Charlie cursed, running a hand through his hair and hugging Eli as close to him as physically possible. “I’m going to kill that jackass!”   
  
“N-no!” Eli sat up and looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s fine! You don’t need to fight him!”   
  
“Like fuck I do!” Charlie growled back. “You’re just a kid-”   
  
“I’m nineteen!”   
  
“-Exactly! And he’s physically abusing you! I’m not going to let this go!”   
  
“What can you do about it?!”   
  
Charlie gave him a dark look. “Beat the fucking shit out of him. And keep you here.”   
  
Eli’s jaw dropped. “You can’t! I have to go to classes and-”   
  
“Yeah yeah, I don’t mean that,” Charlie rubbed his face with his hand. “I mean you can’t go back to Michael. The dude’s an asshole and doesn’t deserve such a nice kid like you.”   
  
Eli blinked. “I-”   
  
“Listen kid, it’s late, and I’m  _ this _ close to going to look for Michael myself.” Charlie sighed. “Bedtime. Let’s go.”   
  
With a squeak of protest, Charlie picked Eli up and carried him up the stairs. He opened the second door in the hallway and dropped him on the bed. “Wait here,” he ordered. “I’m going to grab you some pyjamas.”   
  
Charlie crossed the hall to his room, seething.   
  
Michael had crossed a line.   
  
He gathered a t-shirt and some sweatpants for Eli and popped back into the guest room. “Here,” he said, tossing the clothes at the kid. “Bathroom’s down the hall. Second door to the left.”   
  
Eli slipped from the room and Charlie sighed before spreading a blanket over the mattress. He fluffed the pillows a bit and fiddled with the corner of the sheet until Eli poked his head back into the room.   
  
“C’mere, kid.” Charlie gestured for Eli to join him on the bed. They sat in silence for a moment. “...You said you had classes tomorrow?” Charlie asked finally.   
  
“Y-yeah.”   
  
“College?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Okay,” Charlie hummed, before leaning back onto his elbows. “I’ll take you to your campus and stick around until you’re done. I don’t want Michael to come looking for you at your school.”   
  
Eli turned to face him with a surprised face. “You don’t have to do that.”   
  
“But I’m going to,” he tilted his head at the kid. “I’m watching out for you, kiddo, remember?”   
  
Eli blushed and looked down. “Thanks then, I guess.”   
  
“Now go to bed,” Charlie said, rolling off the bed to stand by the door. “I’ll wake you up in time for breakfast, yeah?”   
  
“...Thanks.”   
  
-   
  
...Fuck this.   
  
Of-fucking- _ course _ Michael would show up at the college, five minutes into the kid’s first class, no less.   
  
“Cobra!” Michael announced from on top of a bus stop, drawing the attention of everyone in hearing range. “Return my sidekick or else!”   
  
Charlie looked up from where he had been leaning against a lamppost, reading a book.   
  
“Mm…” he hummed, as though considering the ‘superhero’s’ absurd demand. “No thanks. The kid seemed to be having a good time at my place. Surely you wouldn’t mind a few sleepovers?”   
  
Internally, he was seething, but watching Michael get so riled up was too amusing to start a fight right away.   
  
“No!” Michael screamed like a toddler denied candy. “Give me back my sidekick!”   
  
Charlie’s amused face went cold. “No.”   
  
“I- you- ARGH!” Michael jumped from the bus stop and flew at Charlie, knocking them to the ground and throwing a fist at his face.   
  
People had started to gather around by the time the fistfight started.    
  
“You know-” Charlie grunted as he dodged a fist and threw one back- “-I was going to just ask for a ransom then give you the kid, but you’re a real ass and I’m keeping him now.”   
  
Michael screamed again. “NO! RETURN MY SIDEKICK OR ELSE!”   
  
“Fuck off, you jackass!” Charlie roared as he kicked him in the shin. “You won’t go near the kid!”   
  
The scene was chaos- people were screaming, filming the fight and running around, and Michael was on his back with Charlie beating the shit out of him. Someone must’ve called security at one point because Charlie could see two burly men in black running towards them.   
  
“NO! No, no, NO!” Michael screeched before tossing Charlie off of him. With an incredible yell, he shot off in the direction of the building.   
  
“Fuck!” roared Charlie, springing to his feet and sprinting after him. The security guards tried to restrain him on the way, but he turned around and gave them a deadly glare.   
  
“If you get in my way-” Charlie said in barely restrained rage, “-for the love of God, if you get in my way, I  _ will end you _ .”   
  
With that, he tore away from the two men and ran for the building.   
  
He sprinted down the hall to the farthest classroom and threw the door open.    
  
“Excuse me-” the teacher started.   
  
“Kid, we gotta go,” Charlie interrupted, locking eyes with Eli as he panted for breath. “Michael’s here, we need to leave-”   
  
“COBRA!”   
  
“Fuck,” Charlie cursed, rushing over to Eli. “Quick, we need to make a run for it-”   
  
“What-” Eli tried to say, turning pale. He shoved his papers into his bag and stood up hurriedly.   
  
“COBRA!” Michael burst through a window. Charlie didn’t even have time to internally complain about the flashy entrance before he was tackled to the ground.   
  
“How DARE YOU TAKE MY SIDEKICK!” Michael howled as he punched Charlie in the face.   
  
“Ow..?” Charlie tried to say, dodging the next punch and rolling away onto his knees, massaging his jaw.   
  
“AH!” Eli screamed as Michael grabbed his arm roughly.   
  
“Cobra, I’ll take you out next time!” Michael announced grandly and turned to leave with Eli in tow.   
  
“There is no ‘next time’, you bastard,” Charlie growled as he kicked him in the back, sending Michael to the ground. “I already told you you’re not getting the kid again.”   
  
Eli was standing frozen where Michael had been standing, eyes wide in shock. Charlie cursed and ran to his side, leaning forward and whispering into his ear. “Kid, listen,” he murmured, “When I say run,  _ run _ .”   
  
With that, Charlie threw himself at the groaning superhero on the ground. “GO, KID!” He screamed as he slammed the hero’s head onto the ground.   
  
Michael let out a scream of outrage as Eli bolted. “Oh, no you don’t,” Charlie muttered as he put his knees onto his back, pinning him to the ground. “Don’t you fucking dare go near him.”   
  
“No, NO!” Screeched Michael as he flailed underneath Charlie. “GIVE ME BACK MY SIDEKICK!”   
  
“Somebody call security!” Charlie yelled as he punched the hero in the jaw. “I can’t hold him down like this!”   
  
The class that had been watching the fight in scared silence jumped to their feet, screaming and running from the room. Within a minute, half a dozen burly dudes in black stormed the room.   
  


Charlie took a step back and panted as he watched as Michael was subdued.   
  
-   
  
He found Eli hiding in the bathrooms, trembling and shaking.   
  
“Hey, kiddo,” he said softly, wrapping Eli in a tight hug. “It’s okay, you’re fine.”   
  
“Thank you,” Eli whispered tearfully.   
  
“No problem, kiddo.” He paused before speaking again. “So, cocoa time?”   
  
Eli giggled. “Okay.”   


**Author's Note:**

> Wow I wrote another one someone applaud me
> 
> On another note though, I'd like to apologize for my poor attempts at humor and the awful ending.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
